Clinical utility of video-EEG monitoring.

This study investigated the efficiency of simultaneous video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring in documenting paroxysmal events, the value in clinical diagnosis, and the effect on treatment. In this retrospective review, 230 children underwent this procedure between January, 1990 and December, 1992. The data demonstrated that video-EEG monitoring can be used as a daytime procedure with a high success rate (80%) in detecting and differentiating the nature of recurrent paroxysmal behaviors that have occurred on a daily basis. Video-EEG monitoring has a high diagnostic rate in differentiating seizure versus nonseizure events (70%), in classifying seizure types (88%), and in evaluating the candidacy for epilepsy surgery (64%). Video-EEG diagnosis resulted in an alteration of clinical management in 45% of patients. Continuous video-EEG monitoring is an efficient and valuable procedure in the diagnosis and management of paroxysmal disorders in children.